Hungary seeks access to Azerbaijan’s green energy to strengthen energy security

At the Baku Energy Forum, Hungary’s Deputy Secretary of State for Energy Policy, Márk Alföldy-Boruss, announced the country’s efforts to gain access to green energy produced in Azerbaijan.

“We welcome the ‘Green Energy Corridor’ initiative (the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor project) and are actively pursuing access to Azerbaijan’s green energy resources. This will help us reinforce energy supply security while supporting our climate goals. We believe COP29 has marked the beginning of a new era, with climate finance mechanisms now clearly defined. Hungary fully supports cooperation, green development, and partnerships based on the decisions adopted at COP29,” Boruss stated.

He also highlighted that hydrocarbons remain a key component of Hungary’s energy balance. Most municipalities in Hungary rely on natural gas for heating. Additionally, the country’s chemical and petrochemical industries, including fertilizer production, continue to demand significant oil and gas supplies.

“One of the main outcomes of COP29 is that countries highly dependent on hydrocarbons, such as Azerbaijan, understand the necessity of pursuing a dual approach: reducing emissions while maintaining the economic role of traditional energy resources,” Boruss emphasized.

Hungary has already installed 8 GW of solar power capacity, sufficient to meet domestic demand during sunny days. “This is a significant achievement. However, due to weather variability, solar energy usage remains limited. Therefore, short-term energy storage and seasonal solutions are essential. Flexible energy production relying on natural gas is also crucial. In this regard, Hungary has commenced construction of three new combined-cycle gas turbine plants,” he added.

Boruss stressed the importance of flexibility in the energy sector to integrate large volumes of variable renewable energy, achievable through both battery storage and natural gas-powered combined-cycle plants. At the same time, safeguarding and diversifying hydrocarbon supply routes and sources remain vital.